For ISU students who are interested in aquatic activities, one popular summer location is Hickory Grove Lake.

Canoeing at Hickory Grove Lake has been available ever since the 100-acre lake was built 30 years ago, said Rick Walter, unit ranger at Hickory Grove Park. Hickory Grove is the largest park in Story County, located just southwest of Colo.

Other activities such as hiking, boating, hunting and fishing are also offered, but with temperatures rising this summer, water activities bring more people to the park, Walter said.

“Over the period of the summer, it does get busier,” he said. “We’ve had up to 14 canoes. Right now, we have 10.”

Between five and 10 canoes are rented each day, Walter said, making them the most requested piece of watercraft.

“The canoes are the most popular,” he said. “But we also use them for our own environmental education classes.”

Andrea Rasmusson, waterfront manager at Hickory Grove Park, said a variety of people from Ames and the surrounding areas take advantage of the recreation activities the park offers.

“There are lots of different people that come out, lots of students, but also people from Marshalltown, Nevada and Ames,” she said.

Abbey Carter, sophomore in hotel, restaurant and institution management, has enjoyed canoeing and swimming at the lake since she was a child. Tony Walters, junior in business, visited the lake with Carter and said it was busy but not too crowded when they were there.

“There was a lot of people, but it never got to the point of being uncomfortable,” he said.

Walters and Carter both said their day canoeing at the lake was a worthwhile summer activity. “It was a good, cheap date,” Walters said.

Canoe rentals have kept State Gym busy this summer, said Seth Riggs, an employee at the gym.

“The last three weekends, we’ve rented all our canoes,” he said.

ISU students can rent watercraft such as canoes, sailboats, rowboats and kayaks at the Outdoor Recreation Center in Room 230 of State Gym for between $5 and $12 a day.

Canoes can be rented from Hickory Grove Park for $3 per hour. For more information, contact State Gym at 294-8200 or the Story County Conservation Board at 232-2516.